I thought I’d write a blog post about this backpack since I have used it quite a bit over the past 2 years. I usually carry it when someone else is fishing with me so I can carry their rain jackets, phones, a water filter pump, spare water, lunch etc.
I prefer a pack without a lot of padding when I am wading. I generally don’t carry enough weight to require padding.
The construction of this pack is exemplary so I won’t complain too much about the price tag. In this instance, you DO get what you pay for. And the main selling point for me was that it is waterproof and submersible. I have used it several times as an impromptu flotation device to help get me across deep water.
I like the 3 grab handles on the sides and top. With some velcro strips I can secure rods or rod tubes.The shoulder strap buckles are metal and heavy-duty.Comes with a removable waist belt.The inside has a sleeve, a velcro patch and a zippered pocket. The lighter color on the inside makes locating items easier. It’s the simple things that add up to a nice design.The pack contents from our recent trip.
I have been very happy with this pack. Zero complaints so far. I rarely notice it when I’m wearing it and fishing a river. The plastic baits on the right are usually carried in the thigh pocket of my shorts along with a few spare jigheads so I don’t have to dig into the pack very often.
I have no affiliation with Yeti and purchased this with my own money. If anything happened to this one…I wouldn’t hesitate to buy another.
That’s what my friends call it. I call it an opportunity.
Oklahoma has a few trout streams and they usually contain too many people for my taste. I prefer my own company and hence, try to find overlooked or ignored places to fish. And catching trout is fun, I just prefer another species at this moment in my life.
I’ve spent thousands of dollars chasing the Micropterus dolomieu velox or Neosho-strain Smallmouth bass. I don’t see an end to it in the foreseeable future. Sure, I could go to the North Country and catch really big Smallmouth bass, and I’ve done that many times, but there’s something special to seeking out our native Smallmouth bass.
I don’t go with the “societal flow” or “social norms”, in fact, I could care less. I am on this Earth for a certain period of time and plan to use as much of that time as I can wisely. So I prefer to chase whatever species I am interested/fascinated in. And if I do it right, you will never know I was there. Since I enjoy my solitude and “soul time”, I don’t always give trip reports or name locations of where I’m fishing…and I think most readers understand the WHY behind it. It’s my way of recharging my internal batteries.
I enjoy fishing immensely and hope to continue doing so for years to come. I don’t care if its a really small creek leading to a stream. And if I’ve never been there…that’s a bonus.
So…Ditch Water huh? You never know what you’ll encounter. You will never know what’s around the creek/stream/river bend unless you go. And I WILL GO.
I have a natural inclination to observe things. And I find it fascinating to watch wildlife. I’m 50 years old, yet still find wonderment in seeing a deer or a fish or bird, or anything really. And I’ve seen thousands of deer.
As I was in the middle of the river fishing, I kept hearing subtle noises coming from the bank behind me. I would peek over my shoulder every once in awhile to try and locate the source. Once I spotted the deer as she quietly browsed on the shoreline foliage, I stopped fishing and perched myself on top of a rock and just watched.
I observed how she was moving, what she was feeding on and how alert she was. No doubt she knew I was there, but still, I dared not move. I was in awe and quite content to just watch. Her mannerisms hinted at wariness, as well it should. I was no threat to her but I’m sure she had a Ph.D in human behavior and was ready to bolt to safety in an instant.
All told, I probably sat there for 10 minutes just watching. Eventually her path took her around the bend in the river. I stood up, stretched and continued fishing. Happy and thankful for the encounter…
Yes, we used Milwaukee Packout Toolboxes for our Camp Kitchen as well. Told you we loved these boxes! Look at the “bright side”, the boxes are red so it’s hard to misplace or leave them behind when packing up to leave!
The top box is for utensils, dish towels, soap and other bits and bobs.Keeps things neat and organized. The clear lid is a plus.Everything is labelled.Sturdy handle makes it easy to carry.Everything packed inside.Pots, pans, plates etc.Our single burner cook stove.A very quiet stove. Suited our needs perfectly.Cheap cook set.Our skilletOur GSI 2L kettle for boiling water.Katadyn Hiker Pro in case we need water when off grid camping.Our in-camp washing setup. I am a big believer in proper hygiene even when camping.CollapsibleReady for transport.
We like the fact that these toolboxes can connect to each other in multiple variations. It really helps keep things together both in camp and during transport. In fact, we stacked all of these boxes on top of one another in the gear room so we know where everything is.
Currently we use the 1 pound Coleman Propane bottles for our camp stove. We are kicking around the idea of getting a small 5 pound propane tank since it’s a cheaper option in the long run.
I had purchased an extra one of these Milwaukee Packout Tool Boxes because I really like the concept behind them. After finishing the Auxiliary Power Supply Box I was sitting there looking at this other box and was wondering if we could store our 1# propane bottles inside. These boxes come with internal dividers so I put them in place and quickly realized that the propane bottles fit perfectly with room to spare.
Camping Fuel Storage Box.We love these boxes.
As you can see, there is plenty of room for 5 or 6 of the 1# Coleman Propane bottles as well as a few canisters for our backup backpacking stove (Kovea Spider) and a roll of paper towels.
This little experiment worked well for us. And keeping with the modular approach…it’s easy to transport and keeps the bottles from rolling around or creating clutter by stashing them here and there. By keeping our camping system broken down into separate components it made loading and unloading the vehicle easier for both of us. Before, we used a large Rubbermaid Action Packer to store everything and it was a real pain to get everything to fit and became too heavy for one person to lift.
Our original plan for this trip was to use a 12VDC refrigerator but bad planning on my part meant if we ordered one it would not arrive in time.
The core of this system is built upon a SOK Battery 12VDC/100A LiFePO4 battery. Yes, it is expensive, but we needed a battery that was rugged, user serviceable and had a depth of discharge that a LiFePO4 battery offers vs a standard 12VDC AGM battery. Our previous 12VDC/100A AGM battery weighed 64 pounds vs 28 pounds for the SOK battery. The SOK is encased in a steel enclosure with a built-in BMS (battery management system) and has 4 replaceable cells inside. I can’t repair a faulty AGM battery.
I chose a Milwaukee Packout Toolbox to house the battery. Below the lid is an XT60 connector so the battery can be charged via solar panels.I added a BlueSea fuse and a Victron 75/15A MPPT solar charge controller.This was a smaller Milwaukee Packout Toolbox I used to build a “Breakout Box” for multiple charging options. I added a dual USB 3.0 port, a switch, another dual USB 2.0 port and a 12VDC cigarette lighter port. When driving the car, I can charge the battery via the cigarette lighter port if needed.On the other side I added Anderson Power Pole connectors and another XT60 port for various charging options.Inside the Breakout Box I added a BlueSea Fuse Panel to keep things neat and organized. Each port goes to a separate fuse block. It also holds various charging cables and a Voltaic Sytems USB Touchlight.Complete unit.The battery and breakout box are connected via an XT90 connector.
The main benefit for us was a modular approach, lightweight, user serviceable, 80-90% depth of discharge and a rugged build. Not to mention this battery has a 7 year warranty and 4000-8000 charge cycles! 12VDC AGM batteries are heavy and the depth of discharge is commonly quoted at 50% but reading the manufacturers engineering specifications, you will note that a lot of them say that 50% depth of discharge is 12.2 volts.
I am also an amateur radio operator and like to operate in parks and such so I needed the added capability of a bigger battery.
On this trip we brought a laptop to edit photos and videos, the navigation tablet, 2 cell phones and 2 GoPro’s as well as various other USB powered items. I do not like using the main vehicle starting battery to charge things unless the vehicle is being driven so it made sense to bring a separate battery for our charging needs.
We utilized 2 SunPower 50 watt, thin, flexible solar panels while in camp to keep the battery topped off.The Victron MPPT charge controller had BlueTooth connectivity so I could easily check the charge status on my phone anytime I wanted.
We had all the power we needed or wanted for the duration of the trip. If we decide to get a 12VDC refrigerator in the future I think this battery can handle it.
The battery and breakout box ride behind the passenger seat while the solar panels ride behind the drivers seat. Just like a canoe or kayak, we try to keep the load balanced in the vehicle.
Well, that’s a snap shot of our Auxiliary Power Supply while camping. Maybe it will give you some ideas! Thanks for reading…
I bought these boots for wet wading back in 2018 and fished them hard for the 2018, 2019, 2020 and now the 2021 season. After countless miles the soles have started to delaminate.
Both boots are delaminating at this location.The left boot is worse than the right one.
I have looked at buying either the Simms Flyweight boot or the Simms Freesalt boot to replace these. I have used ShoeGoo to fix the heel on the right boot before but it did not hold so I may find a local shoe repair business to see what they can do to fix these. The uppers are holding up really well and the boot is still the most comfortable I’ve worn so I don’t want to give up on these boots or waste money on another pair.
Time to use my Google-Fu and find a local cobbler!
Velox Seeker 